Foundations of Friendship
by Liek
Summary: Series of Drabbles and double drabbles. Different views on Legolas.
1. Threath from Within

**Foundations of Friendship**

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Disclaimer: these characters will never be mine, sadly enough, all belongs to Tolkien._

_A/N_ _This Double drabble was written for the Teitho contest and is first in a series. _

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Threat from within

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All I wanted was to see elves and I saw them.  
But though I will follow mister Frodo, I did not mean to go on a journey with one.  
Especially not this one.  
I've never wanted that.

He is different from the others.  
He isn't smiling half as much.  
I have heard he is a dark elf.

Since I came to Rivendell I have learned more of elves than I wanted to know. I have learned that elves killed other elves. I have heard of discrimination of other races, and the more I hear, the more I fear this Legolas.

He is an assassin.  
His knives are sharp, his arrows ever ready and he moves with the stealth of a predator.  
I have heard he is from a forest so dark the light of the sun never touches the ground.

I have heard that his king locks up dwarves without reason, while he let a villain like Gollum walk free.  
I have heard his father cares more about jewellery than he cares about people.

In short, I don't like him one bit.

But I have to be careful in my judgement. After all… I didn't trust Strider at first either.

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	2. Foundations

**_Foundations of Friendship_**

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Foundation_

I can feel him shiver beside me. He is afraid. He hides it well, but I can feel it. I can feel everything down here. Down here I am home, or at least I should be, for we are in Dwarrowdelf, Moria.  
He is shivering.

To think that I feared him.

When I look at him now, I can see no enemy. Even his arrogance has disappeared. Suddenly.. my great enemy; my foe on this journey seems nothing but a scared child.

But strange enough this does not make me feel better.  
I am ashamed.

All these battles I have fought with him… every single time… I have been fighting with a youngster.  
So many childish fights.

He is shivering and suddenly I can't hate him anymore.  
"Legolas."  
It is the first time I speak his name.

I want to say something.

Something to tell him… That I know.

That he doesn't have to keep pretending.

That he doesn't have to be so brave.  
The elf straitens his shoulders and answers me.

"Gimli" he says, speaking my name as well.

I nod.

It isn't much.  
But it is a foundation.

A rocky ground on which a friendship can be build.

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	3. Elven Ambassador

_**Foundations of Friendship

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**_

_Elven ambassador _

Eight stand before us, but my eyes only see one.  
I recognize Thranduil in his face, and there are hints of Oropher too.  
He is much like his ancestors.  
I see their pride written on his features.

It is visible in every single detail; this is a Silvan, a wood elf.  
My wife's cousins would have called him dark.

And yet my son in law chose him to represent all elves.

I study him from the distance, while my wife performs her silent tests of the mind.  
He refuses to even blink.

I grin and nod.

Elrond chose well indeed.

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	4. Protocol

_**Foundations of Friendship****

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**__Protocol_

His hand shakes a little and he looks nervously at the spectators.

I silently tell him not to worry, that he will do fine, but I am not allowed to speak those words. Protocol demands that I keep my tongue.

He bows before me, as protocol demands, and instead of smiling at him I nod, again: as protocol demands.  
He moves to his position, aims and shoots.

And I wish to jump up, forget all protocol , beam at him and shout proudly: "That is _my _son! _**My** _son!"

As ever I wish I could be his father, not his king.

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	5. Out of Thin Air

_**Foundations of Friendship**_

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_Out of thin air _

My grandmother told me stories of creatures that sprang out of the grass and elves that appeared out of thin air, and I spend days trying to catch them when I was just a boy.  
But then Theodred started taking me on real quests, and I stopped believing. The more blood a man sees the harder it becomes to believe in elves.  
Nothing ever appeared out of thin air in Rohan.

Until today.

I look down upon them and I feel confused.  
They say they are orc-hunters, but that cannot be, nor can Strider be his real name. No mother would do that to her child.  
Are they sent by the wizard?  
Or…

"Have you sprung out of the grass? How did you escape our sight? Are you elvish folk?"

"No," said the tall man. "One only of us is an Elf…"  
I stare at the one he is talking about.  
For the first time I notice his pointed ears.

If only Theodred would have been here to see.  
Pain fills my heart when I think of my cousin, reminding me that the wizard's minions are cunning.

I must not let my guard down just yet.

But still…  
An _Elf…

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	6. The Size of Things

**Foundations of Friendship**

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_The size of things_

"You are insane! Merry, tell him he is insane!"  
"I'm sorry, Pippin. I just.. I didn't expect that you would use the word "giant" for one so tiny."  
"_TINY! _It was the size of MY _**FOOT**_! IT WAS _**NOT** _TINY!"  
"I apologize, I just thought…when you said giant… I thought you meant… well…_ giant_."

"You scared me half to dead! Running here with all those weapons! And it _was _giant."  
"I'm afraid we differ of opinions here, my friend. I have seen giants, this one was not it."  
"Was! It was the largest spider I've ever seen! Merry, _tell_ _him_!"

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	7. Friends of Friends

**Foundations of Friendship **

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Friends of Friends

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He managed to win the friendship of a wizard and a dwarf.  
The hobbits consider him part of their family and even stop smoking when he sits with them, all out of respect.  
Eowyn thinks him charming, Faramir intelligent.  
Celeborn likes him, and even Galadriel could find no fault.

My father has chosen him to represent all elves in the fellowship of the Ring.  
My brothers have fought with him and thought him both respectable and funny; the highest praise they ever gave to anyone.

He is my husband's best friend and he saved his live on a thousand occasions.  
I have never heard anything other than praise of him, and all persons I love, love him.

Is there even the slightest, smallest, minuscule chance that I will not like him?

But still, I am nervous.  
Though I have seen him before, at the council, at the wedding, we have never met.

Aragorn wraps his arm around me, and pulls me closer.  
He is smiling.

"Legolas, this is Arwen. Arwen, Legolas."

The hands we shake tremble slightly, but that is not all my fault.  
As we look into each other's eyes, we share a knowing smile.

He is nervous too.

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End file.
